I’m tired of the arrogant elitism by so-called conservatives, conservatives of expedience and the misguided who are conservative, but who sometimes embrace populace idiocy.

The tea party movement began as an amalgamation of the like-minded who opposed increasing government intrusion, uncontrolled and unsustainable government spending, increased taxes, the exponential growth of government debt, and increased government expansion — the very same things that President Reagan opposed as well. The tea party movement began in the spring of 2009 — and from what people involved in it said accomplished no less than a success fou, i.e. extrodinary success — in the November 2010 off-year elections.
Yet despite the accomplishments by the tea party movement, the GOP and Republican elitists treat those of us who support the tea party movement like the “N” word.

Let me recap. “In the 2010 midterm elections, The New York Times identified 138 candidates for Congress with significant tea party support, and reported that all of them were running as Republicans. According to a calculation on an NBC blog, of the candidates that were backed by a tea party group, or identified themselves as a tea party member, 50 percent were elected to the Senate and 31percent to the House.” (Electoral History of The Tea Party Movement; Wikipedia)

NBC calculated on Its blog that 32 percent of the candidates supported by the tea party movement won their election. In places like Nevada and Colorado, tea party movement backed candidates may have lost, but they made solid showings against heavily financed Democrats like Harry Reid and Michael Bennet, respectively. But it is important to note that in Colorado, Delaware, and Nevada the tea party backed candidates, while losing in the election to Democrats, were able to defeat longtime establishment Republican incumbents. And many believe they would have defeated their Democrat opponents had the establishment Republican hierarchy supported their campaigns.

Tea party movement backed candidates like Rand Paul, Tim Scott, and Nikki Haley unseated well-financed, heavily promoted Republican incumbents who were deemed unbeatable by candidates supported by the upstart tea party movement. The tea party movement candidate made it a horse race in Alaska before losing to the longtime liberal Republican candidate, Lisa Murkowski, who had the backing and full weight of the establishment supporting her, complete with questionable Republican shenanigans.

It is an affront to reasonable minds, and a transpicuous display of hubris and contempt for ordinary Americans, when we are insulted and brushed aside being told those we support are not sophisticated enough to be elected to represent our concerns. Our Founding Fathers never intended for our concerns and the representation of same to go unaddressed because we didn’t belong to the “right” country club or attend the “right” university.
Our Founding Fathers envisioned a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” That indicates our involvement. That indicates that we are to be heard and listened to, not treated with less respect and consideration than is given to illegal aliens.

I find it deeply troubling when Michael Reagan, son of the late President Reagan, makes disparaging remarks about the likes and dislikes of tea party movement people and the candidates we support. It’s as if we are not supposed to have an opinion. We are just supposed to keep quiet, send our money, and vote how they tell us. As an illusion of participation, they will let us amuse ourselves believing we matter in the primaries; but they keep that season short-lived, cracking the whip for us to get back in line and do as they tell us.

Those days have come and gone. We will not return to the plantation, and many of us are prepared to lose to prove that point. Establishment Republicans don’t own us or our votes — we aren’t their slaves. Our minds belong to us, and if they want to point to questionable decisions We the People have made, let them look in the mirror.
This is our government, and regardless of whether we are polished or refined by their standards the Federal Government exists to address our concerns. If I show up at Congressional offices and I’m a well-known industrialist, big-time athlete, or actor I’m treated with respect and genuflection. But if I show up as an attendant at the corner garage or postal worker I’m treated with less respect than Democrats show the blacks. We are to forget the significant number of substance abusers, philanders, spousal abusers, and those with criminal records in office.

I’m offended by those who blather the establishment line that tea party movement backed candidates are responsible for Republicans not taking the Senate in 2010. The tea party movement was directly responsible for the greatest political turn around in several decades.

Our Founding Fathers created a government that was simple enough for any American citizen to represent the will of the people. But venal, nefarious, power-hungry malevolents have risen up and corrupted the system. Once in office, those who promised to represent us pass secret laws and provisions designed for them to make gain from their positions.

Elections are supposed to be about the will of the people. The people are you and I. It is not the right of Karl Rove, Michael Reagan, Reince Priebus or any other establishment politician to make light of us or dictate how we should vote. If it was wrong for Chavez and Saddam Hussein to do it, then it’s wrong for them.

Mychal S. Massie is the former National Chairman of the conservative black think tank, Project 21-The National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives; and a member of its parent think tank, the National Center for Public Policy Research. You can find more at mychal-massie.com.